


sleeping at last

by notveryglittery (darlingdany)



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Gen, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Sleep Deprivation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-08
Updated: 2019-06-08
Packaged: 2020-04-19 16:28:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19136416
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darlingdany/pseuds/notveryglittery
Summary: virgil can't sleep. remy's here to fix it.





	sleeping at last

**Author's Note:**

> it’s my first time writing a proper fic in ~4mo and i might actually cry, i’m so happy and proud. ironically enough, i got this idea while trying and failing to fall asleep. also, keep a look out for a few more parts, it’s gonna be a series <3

“Hi, babe.”

“Please don’t make me regret this.”

“Shh, okay, it’s fine.”

Remy moved slowly, settling himself onto Virgil’s bed, careful to not disturb the other. Virgil had his head in his hands and his breathing was erratic, short stuttering inhales and shaky exhales. His shoulders were trembling. 

“Shh, okay,” Remy repeated, dimming the lights in the room with a simple swipe of his fingers through the air. “I have an idea. Think you can look at me, hon?” 

For a moment, Remy was worried Virgil was nearing being unresponsive. It was one thing to help the anxious side get the shuteye he’d been unable to achieve for the last day and a half. It was another thing entirely to help him through a panic attack. Remy took a deep breath, preparing himself to do so, if necessary. 

Thankfully, a few seconds later, Virgil lowered his hands and lifted his head. Even in the low light, Remy could see Virgil was sans makeup, and the bags under his eyes were not a pretty sight. It looked even like he might have been crying earlier, if the redness was anything to go by. 

“Hi there, sleeping beauty,” Remy said, gently, teasing. 

Virgil cracked a smile, swatting at him half-heartedly. “Shuddup.” 

“No can do, sweetie,” Remy replied in a despairing sort of tone, as if he really was so sorry about it. “Gotta talk to help you get to dreamland.” 

“How dreadful,” Virgil groaned, somehow the perfect mix between annoyed and hopeful. It was weird and seemed kind of impossible but Remy wasn’t going to question it. 

“You’re not allowed to call my methods cliché, got it?” 

“No promises.”

Remy rolled his eyes, pretend exasperated. 

“Deep breath in.” 

Despite Virgil’s initial response, he followed Remy’s example easily. They both inhaled through their noses. Before Virgil could release, however, Remy held up his hand. He lowered a finger by five mississippi counts in his head, before beginning to exhale slowly through his mouth. Virgil did the same. 

if it hadn’t been thirty six hours since Virgil had last slept (and if even then, it had been more than three hours of rest), Remy would joke about how he could already see the tension draining from Virgil’s shoulders. That’d just put him on the offense, though, as it was clear he was close enough to snapping without Remy’s ribbing to make matters worse. 

“We’re gonna go again, but this time we’re gonna close our eyes on the exhale, okay?” 

Virgil looked ready to oppose, as if the idea of not being able to see his surroundings when he was so on edge was absurd, but Remy was already beginning to take a deep breath in. Virgil, seemingly desperate enough for a night undisturbed, hurried to do the same so as not to fall behind. This time, Remy counted only two Mississippi seconds, before initiating the exhale. He let his eyes slip shut, only able to hope that Virgil was doing the same. Once his lungs were free of air, Remy opened his eyes.

To his surprise, Virgil’s were still closed, and his head had begun to dip. 

‘ _He must be exhausted,_ ’ Remy thought, ‘ _I ought to watch over him better._ ’ 

“Ready to go again, darling?” He asked, barely a whisper, as if hesitant to break the silence.

Virgil’s eyes snapped open with a quick hitch of his breath. After taking a moment to settle himself, he nodded. “Can you count out loud, though?” 

“Anything for you.” 

And so they continued. Eyes kept open as they inhaled. Two Mississippi seconds counted aloud in the softest voice Remy could muster. Eyes slipping closed as they exhaled and remaining shut until the next inhale. 

After roughly eight rounds of this (Remy wasn’t worried about keeping track, as he already had one set of numbers to repeat), Virgil was looking significantly more relaxed. It wouldn’t do him any good falling asleep sitting up, though, and so Remy decided then it was time to move onto the next step. 

“Okay,” he began, hesitantly, so as not to startle Virgil with switching tasks suddenly. “Part two.” 

“Hmm,” Virgil answered, swaying slightly in his current position. 

“Need you to lay down. Can you do that?” 

“Of course,” he responded, sounding haughty, as if offended that Remy had to ask whether he could accomplish such an easy request. 

Without much grace, Virgil simply flopped backwards, head landing amongst his pile of pillows. Remy supposed it was a good thing Virgil had already been sitting in the middle of his bed when he’d arrived, so there was less shifting to do before getting comfortable. He was pleased to see Virgil had continued the process of closing his eyes while breathing out and opening them again while breathing in. It seemed harder each time, though, his eyelids fluttering the longer he went on. 

Remy moved as well, situating himself further up and closer to Virgil’s head. He settled with his back against the headboard and, with a single thought, made the bed just bigger enough to accommodate them both without being cramped. 

“I’m gonna put my hand in your hair. Is that okay?” Remy asked. 

Virgil hummed, in what could have been a yes, but Remy wasn’t risking it.

“Virgil, honey, is that okay?”

“Yeah,” Virgil mumbled, tilting his head towards Remy’s voice, blinking up at him.

Without waiting this time, Remy sunk his hand into Virgil’s hair, combing his fingers through the violet locks. He did so slowly, working to carefully remove any knots that needed untangling. Virgil hummed again and if Remy didn’t know any better, he’d guess Virgil was about to melt right into the mattress. 

“Keep breathing,” Remy murmured, “eyes closed on the exhale. I’ll count for you.” 

Between having to focus on when to have his eyes opened or closed and listening to Remy’s steady counting, the racing thoughts that normally plagued Virgil’s mind were sluggish now, caught in the web that Remy was weaving. Eventually, his eyelids grew too heavy to even bother in trying to lift them. 

“M’gonna…” he tried. A few more deep breaths passed before he continued. “Eyes… shut.” 

“Good idea,” Remy agreed, “you’re so smart.” 

Virgil grunted, as if he wanted to disagree. 

“Fight me about it in the morning,” Remy suggested, smiling just enough that Virgil could hear it in his voice. 

“Bet,” Virgil managed somehow, despite one long exhale and the tingly feeling of Remy’s fingernails scratching at his scalp doing their best to lull him to sleep.

“Bet,” Remy echoed. 

it was maybe fifteen minutes more (it wasn’t like Remy was going to take his phone out to check the time and it _definitely_ wasn’t like he could trust the clock on the wall) before Virgil’s breathing had evened out completely. His expression was peaceful, lips parted slightly and eyebrows no longer furrowed (they seemed to be constantly, always in some state of concern). Remy carded his hand through Virgil’s hair once more before moving away, stretching his arms and twisting his upper body just enough to loosen his muscles from sitting still for so long. 

He was careful getting back to his feet, doing his best to avoid any sudden shifts or creaks. Virgil had always been a light sleeper, after all. It took one more easy thought to return the bed to its original size, so Virgil wouldn’t wake up disoriented by the extra space. 

“Good night, angel,” Remy whispered. “I’m sending you good dreams so don’t worry about a thing, got it?” 

He waited, as if Virgil would tell him ‘ _no promises_ ’ again. 

“Yeah, that’s what I thought.”

**Author's Note:**

> find me on tumblr at [notveryglittery](https://www.notveryglittery.tumblr.com)!


End file.
